Seeing blood in your diarrhea can be an alarming sight. If you develop diarrhea whenever you eat soy-based products, you need to be tested for a soy allergy. If you are diagnosed with a soy allergy, you need to avoid eating soy to prevent diarrhea and other symptoms. Bloody diarrhea from a soy allergy is most likely the result of over-wiping or developing a fissure in the anus. Any time you notice blood in your stool, you need to see your doctor immediately. Bloody diarrhea may be a sign of a more serious condition.
Soy Allergy
Soy is one of the most common food allergies causing gastrointestinal complications and other symptoms. Soy is a legume, part of the same family as peanuts, peas and beans. The allergy occurs because your body doesn't recognize the proteins in the soy as safe. Instead of allowing the proteins to digest normally, the immune system alarms the body and releases various chemicals, such as immunoglobulin E antibodies, histamine and other chemicals. These chemicals cause inflammation in the intestines, the sinuses and lungs.
Bloody Diarrhea
Diarrhea is loose, watery stools that occur frequently. Diarrhea from a soy allergy will typically develop within the first 30 minutes of ingesting soy. Diarrhea causes you to wipe your anus more than normal, which can cause chaffing and cracking of the skin. This can cause a minor amount of blood to form in the diarrhea. Another common cause of bright red blood in your stool is an anal fissure, which is a small tear in the anus from excessive diarrhea or constipation. When you pass the stool, the tear opens and causes blood to show in your stool.
Prevention
The most effective way to prevent bloody diarrhea from a soy allergy is to eliminate soy from your diet. This may be more difficult than it first appears because soy is used in many nonsuspect foods, such as deli meats, ice cream and chocolate. Obvious places to find soy are in miso, tofu, soy sauce and soy milk. Read the label of any food product before ingesting it. If a packaged food contains soy, the manufacturer is required by law to display an allergy warning.
Consideration
Bloody stool needs to be reported to your doctor. If your diarrhea has black appearance resulting from blood, it is not related to a food allergy, but is most likely a more serious condition. If you continue to see blood in your stool even after other symptoms subside, your doctor may recommend a colonoscopy to determine the cause.
